Special Legal Notice for University of California Graduate Students Amid UAW Strike Orders

Major news sources report that United Auto Workers (UAW) officials are ordering or preparing to order tens of thousands of graduate students, teaching assistants, and researchers from the University of California (UC) to strike over the university’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict and related campus protests. The union hierarchy is authorized to call for strikes lasting through June 30 and has already initiated a strike at UC Santa Cruz.

The situation raises serious concerns for graduate students who believe there is much to lose from a union-ordered strike. Seven UC undergraduate campuses have exams scheduled for the second week of June, meaning the strike order may cause major disruptions.

Under California law, graduate students and others whose academic work is subject to monopoly UAW representation have the legal right to rebuff union officials’ strike demands and continue working, but it is important for them to be informed of the details of their rights before they do so.

NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK LEGAL DEFENSE FOUNDATION

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